An inspection apparatus is an apparatus for inspecting a target to be inspected (or an inspection target) such as individual components or an assembly formed by assembling a plurality of components to determine whether the inspection target is defective. The inspection apparatus is configured to acquire an image of the inspection target through a camera and subsequently, precisely inspect a defect of the inspection target through the obtained image information.
For example, for an assembly formed by assembling a plurality of panels or components, like a door assembly for a vehicle, quality of an outer appearance thereof is an important factor, and thus, it is required to precisely inspect whether the door assembly has been accurately assembled according to design drawings or references.
An inspection apparatus for inspecting a voluminous inspection target, like the door assembly for a vehicle, includes a support module supporting an assembly loaded by a robot, a positioning module positioning the assembly supported by the support module to a position appropriate for inspection, and an inspection module inspecting the positioned inspection target.
The positioning module has a plurality of regulation pins regulating a vertical position of the inspection target while moving downwardly from an upper side of the inspection target supported by the support module, a plurality of adsorption cups adsorbing a lower surface of the inspection target, and a plurality of guide bars guiding an edge of the inspection target.
However, in the related art inspection apparatus, while the plurality of regulation pins are moving downwardly from the upper side of the inspection target, if descending speeds of the regulation pins are varied, a phenomenon in which one side of the inspection target is partially raised may occur, leading to shortcomings that positioning is not precisely performed.
In addition, in the related art inspection apparatus, the lower surface of the inspection target may be supportedly adsorbed by the adsorption cups, but when the regulation pins come in contact with an upper surface of the inspection target, the inspection target may be partially deformed due to the adsorption of the adsorption cups.
Moreover, in the related art inspection apparatus, the positioning module has a complicated structure, and loading and unloading of the inspection target are intricately performed, degrading efficiency of the inspection operation.